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2010-11-17 Home Front: Politix
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Nancy Pelosi: The Gift That Keeps on Giving!
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Duplicate but we like the value-added in-line commentary ...
Despite the party's drubbing in the midterm elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will remain the Democratic leader in the next Congress.
Thank you, Lord for your most bountiful blessings...
Members of the caucus voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to make Pelosi minority leader, brushing aside a challenge by Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.), a Blue Dog Democrat who says Pelosi's controversial public image and low approval ratings are a liability to Democrats looking ahead to 2012.
Move along. Nothing to see here.
The tally was 150-43.
During Wednesday's proceedings, Pelosi was nominated by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), while Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), another Blue Dog leader, officially made Shuler a contender.
Stella! Stella!!
During his nominating speech, Doyle trumpeted Pelosi's fundraising prowess, noting she used most of the money to support other members even as conservative groups were spending millions of dollars attacking her.
"She wouldn't spend it for herself because she was spending it for us," Doyle said, according to an aide in the room. "How can we fold on her when she's not folding on us?"
Because she's an albatross around your necks?
Earlier in the day, House Democrats rejected a proposal to delay caucus leadership elections until December. Behind Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), some Democrats lobbied to push the vote to Dec. 8, arguing that members needed more time to digest the reasons behind their trouncing in the midterm elections.
No Madam Speaker. I am not saying you are in an Egyptian River...
"Considering these disturbing exit polls, we believe we should not rush to elect a leadership slate next week, but rather spend more time to understand these historic losses," DeFazio and Kaptur wrote to colleagues last week. "Before we chart a new path forward, we need to understand where we erred to avoid repeating past mistakes."
It's not the policies....
The vote to delay the election -- among the first items under debate Wednesday as the full caucus huddled in the Cannon office building -- was defeated 129-68, according to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.).
That led to the first leadership election of the day, in which Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) won reelection as House Democratic caucus chairman in a vote by acclamation.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) predicted well before the vote that Pelosi would win the minority leader spot by a "substantial" margin.
"It'll be Pelosi," Cummings said. "I expect you'll have a headline that says Pelosi elected Speaker -- I mean, leader."
A Freudian slip.
Pelosi supporters were wondering why the two-term Shuler -- who voted against many of the Democrats' top legislative priorities, including healthcare reform -- was qualified for the position.
Shuler speakers were wondering why Pelosi -- who oversaw the virtual overthrow of the republican form of government and one of the biggest mid-term disasters in the last 100 years -- was qualified for the position.
"The accomplishments of the last two years have been achieved without Heath's vote," Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) told reporters. "And now he wants to be leader?"
Pelosi's contest against Shuler marked the second of five contests. It is to be followed by votes on Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) -- who's running uncontested for minority whip -- Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) -- for whom Pelosi carved out a new "assistant leader" post last week -- and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who's vying to keep his spot beneath Larson as vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
If there are no surprises, it means the Democrats will keep the same five leaders in the next Congress -- in the same order of seniority.
Some senior Democrats say that all the hype -- not to mention controversy -- over the leadership races is irrelevant outside the Washington Beltway, where voters care more about policy than intra-party popularity contests.
"Who the minority leader is or isn't -- or who the whip is or isn't -- is very much a Washington-insider issue," Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Finance Committee, said. "The general public cares about public policy, not personality."
Yes, Barney. And that is exactly why you were nearly sent home...and you lost your chairmanship.
Asked if Pelosi's abysmal approval ratings among independents pose a problem for the party looking ahead to 2012, Frank said they don't "because she's not running for president."
"You people are focused on this, the voters aren't," he said, referring to the media. "The general public is much more focused on substance."
Frank asserted that Pelosi had "virtually nothing" to do with the poor election outcome for Democrats.
No Madam Speaker. I am not saying you are in an Egyptian River...
"Going forward," he said, "we will be judged on what the public policies are."
Maverick: This is what I call a target rich environment. 
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Posted by anymouse 2010-11-17 15:03||
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Posted by Alaska Paul 2010-11-17 18:05||
2010-11-17 18:05||
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Posted by Matt 2010-11-17 20:41||
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